"So, how does it feel to be Alyssa Richards?"

"Wonderful."
Alyssa smiled at Keith and Patti as they walked back to the car.

The adoption proceedings had taken just under an hour, the papers now safely in the leather bag over Patti's shoulder.

"You know you're really Alyssa Richards-Wood-Watts-Jagger, don't you?" Keith said with a grin.
"The Stones all adopted you, it's just Patti and I on paper."

Alyssa nodded, happy to have the Stones and their families.
"Are Theo and Alex and Mr-Sir-Jagger's children all my siblings then?"

Keith snorted.
"Please, for the sake of his ego, and consequently my sanity, do not start calling him "Sir Jagger." Plain old "Mick" will do him fine."

He paused to light a cigarette, propping his feet on the dashboard and ignoring Patti's playful glare.

"And to answer your question, yes, technically all our kids are now your adopted siblings, though I don't blame you if you refuse to acknowledge the existence of Mick's spawn."

"Keith," Patti said, warning in her tone, "keep your feuds with Mick out of the car while I'm driving."

Keith exhaled a stream of smoke towards the open window.
A slight smile on his lips as he ajusted the skull ring on his finger.

Patti rolled her eyes affectionately as she pulled into a car park outside a shopping center.

Keith reached into her bag, taking out a wallet and slipping it into his jeans pocket.

"Text me when you're finished," he said, putting the window up before leaving the car.

Alyssa looked up at Patti as they got out. "Thank you. For everything."

Patti grinned. "Don't thank me yet, we're only getting started," she said, a sparkle in her eyes as she locked the car, checking her bag before gesturing for Alyssa to follow.

Before they entered the shopping center, Patti looked at Alyssa, her face stern but with kindness in her eyes.

"Not a word about money or protests about "I don't need this" or anything along those lines. You're now my daughter and I'll buy you whatever you want, within reason, or anything that I decide you need. Understood?"

She nodded reluctantly, then bit her lip.

"Are people going to crowd you?"

"No. I'm a regular shopper here. People are used to me and don't crowd me. The Stones don't get crowded much here either anymore." Patti explained.

Alyssa nodded and followed her.

They stepped into a clothes shop, Patti lifting a basket and hanging it over her elbow on the way through the door.

She steered Alyssa through the shop to the right section.

"And now," she said with a smile, "we shop!"

Alyssa looked at clothes, then at a few of the price tags.

"Stop looking at prices and start putting things you like into this basket. Starting with underwear and socks."

After a while Patti shifted the basket onto her other arm, looking through the contents.

"I think that'll do for everyday clothes for now. Now you need some good clothes for occasions."

Patti paid, leaving the shop with bags in hand, which she left in the car before walking with Alyssa to their next store.

"No looking at prices here. I wouldn't have brought you here if I couldn't afford it. It is what you'd call expensive. I called it expensive for long enough, but then got used to living the life of a rockstar's wife. Keith used to bring me here sometimes to treat me when we were dating."

Alyssa nodded, slightly reluctantly, as they stepped into the warm, perfume-scented interior of the shop.

She wandered the shop in a trance, looking wide-eyed at the dresses and coats, racks of jeans and blouses, shirts and trousers.

She'd never had new clothes before and had certainly never been in a shop with clothes this extravagant. Her clothes had always been poorly-fitting charity shop bargains.

"C'mon, start choosing," Patti said gently behind her.

"What am I allowed?" Alyssa asked quietly.

"Get a dress or two, pair of good jeans and a nice blouse or something to start with," Patti suggested.

Alyssa wandered for a while before a royal blue dress caught her eye.

She gently took it off it's rack, examining it. Holding it against her body to judge it's length.

"Looks fantastic."

Patti came round a rack of clothes with a long tailored navy coat and two pairs of jeans in her hands. She held her hand out with a smile and Alyssa hesitantly gave over the dress.

"Now go find another, or jeans and a top of some kind."

Alyssa finally settled on a pair of jeans with roses embroidered on them, along with a light blue top with lacy sleeves.

"Lovely," said Patti, smiling as she took them.

She paid for everything, Alyssa's eyes widening at the price.

They bought some shoes in another shop, running into Keith outside a cafe. He had a cigarette between his fingers and bag in hand.

"How'd you two get on?"

"Great. Got Alyssa sorted. Bought myself a coat and jeans," Patti replied, kissing his temple.

"Very good. Alyssa, want to go record shopping with me?"

"Yes please," she replied eagerly.
Excited about the possibility of getting new records, though still slightly wary of Keith's quick temper.

"Good. Patti, meet you back here for a bite to eat before we head home?"

She nodded, kissed him and walked away.

"There's quite a few record shops in this town, closest ones just 'round here," Keith said, waving his lit cigarette to indicate direction.

"Okay," said Alyssa.

They walked in silence for a moment, then Keith dropped his cigarette, scuffing his toe over it to extinguish it.

"So, Alyssa, seeing as your last name is now the same as mine, I suppose you could start calling me "Dad" if you like."

Alyssa bit her lip.
"Do you mind if I do? I mean you're not my biological dad and-"

"Alyssa, what's your last name?"

"Richards," she said quietly.

"And what's my last name?"

"Richards."

"Who signed the adoption papers earlier?"
Keith had stopped walking, standing facing her, one eyebrow slightly raised.

"You, Patti and me," Alyssa replied.

"So, you're now our daughter. And are more than welcome to call us 'Mum' and 'Dad' if you like. No, we're not your biological parents, but I'm pretty sure I'm an improvement over your dad."

"Yes you are," Alyssa said quietly, though didn't meet his eyes.

Keith put his fingers under her chin, making her look at him.

"You're afraid of me," he said softly, sadness in his eyes.

"You threw a knife."

"Oh Alyssa," Keith said quietly, gently caressing her chin, "I'm hot-headed and quick to anger. Slow to forgive and hold grudges but I swear I will never hurt you. I didn't mean to scare you."

Still unused to being spoken to in such a gentle tone, Alyssa's eyes filled with tears.

She was barely aware of Keith drawing her into a gentle embrace as she broke down crying.

He held her, rubbing her back, letting her cry.

"Easy," he murmured softly. "It's alright."

She finally calmed down again.

"Records?" Keith suggested gently.

Alyssa nodded.

The record store they visited was nothing like the second hand one where she'd met the Stones.
It was huge and neatly organised, with printed white labels marking different sections.

Alyssa and Keith came out after an hour with several records each, going to meet Patti for lunch.

Patti shook her head playfully when she saw their purchases.
"I'm never leaving you two alone in a record store again."

Keith grinned.
"Let me spoil her Patricia. She's never had a record bought for her before."

Patti shook her head again, though her eyes sparkled.

After lunch in the cafe, they returned to Evercreek.

Ronnie was standing in the garden playing fetch with the dogs as they pulled into the drive.

"How'd it go?" he asked, stooping to lift the slobbery ball Skye had just dropped at his feet.

"Good. She's now Alyssa Richards on paper and Alyssa Richards-Wood-Watts-Jagger as far as we're all concerned," Keith replied, stroking the dogs affectionately as he spoke.

His eyes strayed to the car parked nearest the door with it's boot open. "Is Brenda going somewhere?"

"Calvin and Austin are going to their mum's. I think he'll be staying there tonight too and returning at about midday tomorrow," Ronnie answered.

"Brenda?" Alyssa asked in confusion.

"Mick. Long story."
Ronnie tossed the ball across the garden, sending the dogs tearing after it.

"Come in for lunch you lot!"

Alyssa entered the kitchen, where Theodora crossed to meet her.
"Is is done? Are you a Richards now?"

"On paper, yes. I think my full name is Alyssa Richards-Wood-Watts-Jagger though," she replied with a smile at the Stones, who were all in the kitchen.

Theodora grinned happily. "Can I hug you?"

"Yeah."

The pretty blonde pulled Alyssa into an embrace, which she returned.

She was over the moon about her official adoption.

"Oi, we'll celebrate later, get that table set if you want lunch."

Mick patted Alyssa's shoulder on his way out the door.
"I'll see you tomorrow. Welcome to this crazy household."